LONG-TERM TREATMENT OF PSYCHOTIC (DELUSIONAL) DEPRESSION WITH FLUVOXAMINE - AN OPEN PILOT-STUDY

The aim of this open pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of fluvo xamine in the continuation as well as in the maintenance therapy of de lusional depression. Thirty patients with recurrent, unipolar depressi on (DSM-TV criteria) were selected who had had at least one depressive episode during the 18 months preceding the delusional depressive inde x episode and were treated with fluvoxamine 300 mg/day. Twenty-five of them had a sustained response to this short-term treatment and agreed to enter into the 30-month follow up study. All participants complete d the follow up period. No relapse was observed during the 6 months of continuation therapy. During the further 24 months of maintenance the rapy, 80% of the patients remained well, whereas 20% (five out of 25) had a single recurrence. Based on these observations, fluvoxamine migh t be a promising drug for long-term therapy of delusional depression. Further controlled studies are required to confirm this finding.